VA - Goin' Home: A Tribute To Duke Ellington (2001)

At its best, Goin' Home…Duke Ellington is an amazing, pitch-perfect tribute, with an all-star cast offering explosive big-band efforts and shiver-inducing vocal interpretations. However, this somewhat lengthy album (with proceeds benefiting the Duke Ellington Foundation) also includes a number of interesting experiments, some of which succeed with eloquent insight, and others of which merely puzzle. The high-points here are extremely high, with a riotous big-band tribute "Goin' Home" leading the way in classic Duke style: big swinging horns, train noises and incomparable vocalese from Jon Hendricks, Al Jarreau and Take 6. An "Ellington Medley" likewise brings a dream trio of interpreters together: Jonathan Butler lends a beautiful yearning to a softly gliding "Day Dream," Dianne Reeves gives a heart-rending read to "I Didn't Know About You" and Jeffrey Osborne embraces a lightly Brazil-beat take on "Prelude to a Kiss." Odder choices include a slowed, synthy "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" with Nancy Wilson's dusky, sad vocal, and a slickened, contemporized "It Don't Mean a Thing," which is interesting and well executed if not entirely pleasing. Still, Ellington would doubtlessly admire the invention of this high-energy tribute effort.

Tracklist:

01. The Groovepushers - All The Way Cool
02. Jon Hendricks, Al Jarreau, Take 6, Gregory Hines - Going Home
03. Otis Clay and Delya Chandler - I Ain't Got Nothing But the Blues
04. Jonathan Butler, Dianne Reeves, Jeffrey Osborne - Ellington Medley
05. Rachelle Ferrell, Grady Tate, Christian McBride, Kirk Whalum - The Duke
06. Otis Clay and Delya Chandler - Come Sunday
07. Jerry Butler, The Dells, Grady Tate - Swinging At The Cotton Club
08. Nancy Wilson, Kenny Lattimore - Don't Get Around Much Anymore
09. Sam Most, Snookie Young - Smokin'
10. Ernie Andrews, Barbara Morrison - Bring That Duke
11. Guru, Tashina Daniels - It Don't Mean A Thing
12. The Groovepushers - All The Way Cool (Instrumental Mix)